Secrets of the traveling venture capitalist

Paul S. Kedrosky, venture capitalist and author of the Infectious Greed blog who is the king of soundbytes for old media types like us, offers some first-class tips on how to travel with a lighter spirit.

Among his guerilla (as in marketing? whatever happened to that ’80s phenomenon anyway?) travel tips:

When going through airport security avoid lines containing vehicles (i.e., infants in strollers, or oldsters in wheelchairs). Both tend to be highly unpredictable.

Print your boarding pass at home/office before the flight. Automated terminals at airport tend to stop allowing check-in too early, preventing you from getting on a flight that you could have otherwise made.

When going through country customs, avoid lines containing clusters of non-citizens. They’re trouble.

Look to the front of customs lines to find ones sharing officers. Entry in Vancouver, Canada, is the best example, where the far left station shares offices were with two and sometimes three other people. You can have huge lines, and still get through faster there.

Get a seat early via the phone, and then ask for another seat at airport.

Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle

Venture capitalist offers tips on how to travel like royalty (or at least avoid some of the headaches)

There are often power outlets at hidden seats behind the check-in counter.

Always ask when renting cars if the outlet is at the airport. Not all airlines companies maintain airport offices at all airports, and discovering that during a last-minute, unexpected bus ride is a giant pain-in-the-ass.

Allow one-hour mechanical delays, and then begin making other travel plans. There is a rapid decline in the likelihood of your original plane being repaired if it doesn’t happen in the first hour.